Combined type bar aligner and detent



June 28, 1960 A. H. SHARPE COMBINED TYPE BAR ALIGNER AND DETENT 2 $heets-$heet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1958 /NVENTOR ARTHUR/i SHARPE A TTORNEV June 1960 A. H. SHARPE 2,942,542

COMBINED TYPE BAR ALIGNER AND DETENT Filed Feb. 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1/ 4 ARTHURHSHARPE A TTORNEY United States Patent 2,942,542 COMBINED TYPE BAR ALIGNER DETENT Arthur H. Sharpe, Waterford, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 717,371

Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This application relates to type bar aligners and more particularly to type bar aligners which have the additional function of holding type bars to prevent jumping during restoration of the bars.

In most of the commercial printing adding machines as, for example, the Sundstrandf adding machine, the printing members are spring urged to a printing position and are released for movement to such position and then restored by a cyclically moving member. The movement of the type bars to the desired printing position is controlled by either a keyboard differentially positioning stop members into the path of movement of the type bars or by a register device engaged with the bars during their release and so controlled as to stop the bars at positions representing the amount standing in the register device. When the stop members are reset in a machine having an early entry of a new amount or the register device withdrawn from engagement with the type bar at the time the amount is printed, as in a conventional total printing cycle, there is no longer any restraint on the spring driven type bars and the bars jump to their fullest extent causing objectionable noise and shock together with excessive wear on the parts.

Some machines have overcome this jumping of the type bars by providing individual detent members for the type bars which deten'ts are engaged with the type bars beforethe register device is disengaged and thereby hold the bars against the urge of their springs but permit the restoration of the type'bars in their reverse direction by the cyclically moving member. Such machines also require a type bar aligner entering into notches in the type bars and aligner operating mechanism to precisely position the type bars at the printing point during the time the amounts are printed.

It is an object of the present disclosure to describe a unitary device combining the functions of both such devices to both align and detent the type bars.

It is also an object to set out a combined device of i this character which requires no appreciable extra space in the machine and is in general interchangeable with thevtype bar aligners of previously built machines of the Sundstrand type.

A further object is to disclose a combined aligner and detent which requires few extra parts and can be incorporated in an adding machine without substantial modification of the adding machine.

- A preferred embodimentof my invention is described in detail in the following description and is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a left elevation of a machine having my invention applied thereto, the machine elements being in normal position, i

aligner-detent of Figure 1, i

- Figure 3 is a view, partly in section, showing the mechanism in the.type baraligning position and,

Figure 4 is a view similar to a part of Figure 3 showing the parts in'thet detenting position.

2,942,542 Patented June 28, 1960 The structure of my invention has been applied to the commercial Sundstrand adding machine which is, insofar as the present mechanism is concerned, substantially similar to the machine disclosed in Patent No. 1,965,611, issued July 10, 1934, to Oscar J. Sundstrand, to which patent reference may be made for a disclosure of associated structure not forming a part of the present invention.

In detail, type bar 10, Figure 1, is one of a plurality of similar type bars in the machine and carries at its upper end a plurality of printing type 11 forcibly impelled against aplaten 12 to print as detailed in the above patent. The type bars 10 are guided for vertical reciprocation on an upper guide bar 14 and in a lower comb bar 15 and are spring urged upwardly by levers 16 pivoted on a shaft 18 and urged counterclockwise by springs 19. A stud 20 on the front end of lever '16 is positioned in a slot 22 in type bar 10 to drive the type bar. A restoring bar 23 overlies all levers 16 and is cyclically moved upwardly to free the type bars 10 for upward movement and is then returned to the Figure 1 position to restore the bars 10 to their normal position as more fully set out in the above patent.

The power to operate the'machine is applied through a shaft 24 which oscillates through an arc of about 90 clockwise during the first half cycle and then returns during the second half cycle. A cam plate 26 is formed with a split return bend at its front end and is secured on shaft 24 by a] bolt 27. A second lever 28 is pivoted on a shaft 30 near the rear of the machine and is connected by a link 31 to cam plate 26 for movement therewith but in an opposite direction of rotation. Stud 32 connecting link 31 to lever 28 projects through lever 28 to the right side of the machine and is used to actuate the aligner of this invention; Another control over the aligner-detent istderived from the short arm of the return bend of cam plate 26 which short arm is on the right machine side of cam plate 26 and is formed with a cam faee-34x p The combined aligner-detent is pivoted on fixed studs 35 and comprises a reversed L-shaped aligner flange 38 having two arms 36 pivoted on the fixed studs 35, see also Figures 2, 3 and 4. The aligner 38 is normally tensioned to the front of the machine, right in Figure 1, by-

a spring 39 secured between a shaft 40 passing through arms 36 and a stationary frame part. As more fully set out in the above Patent 1,965,611, a lever 42 is pivoted on a fixed stud 43 on the machine frame and on its upper arm is connected to a link 44 extending forwardly and having a slotted forward end embracing a stud 46 on the left aligner arm 36. A strong spring 47 is connected between the rear end of link 44 and shaft 40 of the aligner to normally hold the rear end of the slot in link 44 against stud 46.

A long stud 49 is fixed in the lower end of the left aligner arm 36 and is engaged in a notch in an arm 48 pivoted on a fixed stud'50 and urged clockwise by a spring 51 connected between arm 48 and a lever 52. Lever 52 is pivoted on stud 43 and is tensioned clockwise by a spring 54 to hold it out of the path of movement of stud 49 and to hold arm 48 clockwise.

During the forward motion of stud 32 of lever 28 in the firs-t'half machine cycle, stud 32 engages the lower arm 55 of lever 42 to rock lever 42 counterclockwise moving the rear end of the slot in link 44 away from stud 46 in the aligner arm 36 and tensioning spring 47. 1 Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view'ofthe combined 1 Although spring 47 is stronger than spring 39, the aligner arms are retained in their normal position by the engagement of arm 48 with stud 49. Very'shortly before stud 32 reaches its full forward position, it also engages a lower arm 56 of lever 52 to rock lever 52 counterclockwise and place'its forward end iii-the path of stud 49 of arm 36. During this movement of lever 52, its forward end engages the bottom of arm 48 to rock the arm 48 and thereby release stud 49. Spring 47 thereupon pulls the aligner 38 and stud 49 rearwardly until the stud engages the front end of lever 52; Suchmovement of the stud 49 is not enough to engage the aligner 38 with thetype bars 10. v I k After a very short retunn motiono'f stud 32, at the beginning of the return of shaft 24 and before the type 11 are driven to print as indicated in Figure 3, stud 32 releases lever 52 which is then pulled by its spring 54 out of the path of stud 49 whereupon spring 47 pulls the aligner 38" into the teeth 58 of type bar to accurately position the type 11 at a printing line. Thereafter, continued rearward movement of stud 32 releases lever 42 for clockwise motion by spring 47 until the end of the sloti'n' link 44 abuts stud 46. Spring 39 then starts to restore the al'ig'ner 3'8, link 44 and lever 42 to their normal released ositions. The run restoration of the aligner 38 is, however, prevented by a lever 59 having a shoulder 60 which engages stud 49 at about the mid-point of the return motion of the alig'ncr flange 38, see Figure 4. Lover 59 ispivoted on a stud 62 secured in the left wall of thestation-ary' stop pin box' 63 and is tensioned counterclockwise by a spring 64. Lever 59 has a lower arm in line withv the cam face. 34 of the cam plate 26 and normally rests on stud 49 with its lower arm slightly spaced from cam 34 as in Figure 1. As soon as the main shaft starts its clockwise rotation, earn 34 moves away from in front of the lower arm of lever 59. When the aligner moves into the teeth 58' of type bar 10, stud 49' moves from under shoulder 60 and lever 59 rocks to place its shoulder 60 in the return path of stu'd 49 and thereby prevent full return of the alig'ner. At the end of the return; of the main shaft 24, cam 34 returns lever 59 to a position where shoulder 66 is just above the center line of stud 49 whereupon the combined camming effect of the radius of stud 49 and the inertia of lever 59 return the lever to its normal position of Figure l and the aligner 38 is free to be moved to its forward position by spring 39. r e g In previous machines of this type, aligner flange 38 had a continuous tooth engaging rear edge but in the present embodiment, thelower flange and the front flange have slots cut therein in line withthe type bar teeth 58. Mounted in the slots cut in flange 38 and pivoted on shaft 40 between the aligncr arms 36 are agplurality of detent levers 66, see also Figures 2, 3 and 4. The channel 67 is secured to the front of the aligner flange 38 to provide an upper face on which the forward arms ofthe detent levers -66 normally rest and a lower face to which are secured springs 68. There is one; spring 68 for each detent lever 66 and they tension the levers 66 clockwise to hold the forward arms of the levers 66 in engagement with the-upper faceof channel 67 as shown in Figure 2. The lower arms of detent levers 66 are each formed with a detent tooth shaped to'fitinto the teeth 58 and having, a total front to rear dimension equal tothe depth of the slots inrthe lower flange of aligner flange 38. Thus, when detent levers 66 are forced counterclockwise to the ends of the slots in flange 38, the rear face of the align'er' presents the same type bar aligning face as in the prior devices, see Figure 3. In this Figure 3 position of the parts the type bars 10 are positively aligned for the ensuing printing operation.

As above described, after the printing operation, stud 32 releases lever 42 to enable spring 39 to withdrawthe aligner from the teeth 58 of type bars 10 until stud 49 engages shoulder 60 of lever 59. In this position, Figure 4, the detent levers 66 are rocked by their springs 68 to fill retain their detent teeth in engagement with the: teeth 58 but the aligner' flange 38 has'beenmo'v'ed so that the ends of the slotsin the lower flange no longer. abut the lower arms of detent, levers 66'. The type" bars 10 are still locked against upward movement by levers 16 and springs 19 when the registering device is withdrawn from control over type bars 10 in the well-known total taking operation. During the return stroke of restoring bar 23, the type bars 10 are selectively picked up, depending on their position, and are restored downwardly. Detent levers 66 remain in engagement with bars 10 during such restoration and ratchet idly over the teeth 58. After the type bars 1.0 are fully restored to; their home position, cam face 34 above described, strikes the lower arm of lever 59 to free stud 49 and enable spring 39 to restore aligner flange 38 and detentlevers 66. to their home positions clear of teeth 58 so that type bars 10 are free to move upwardly during the next machine cycle.

In summary, the detent levers 66 are engaged with the type bars 10 andhold the bars in alignment during the printing operation without possibility of type bar movement and are then partially released to hold the bars 10 against movement inonedirection only. while enabling free movement of the type. barsin the other direction.

The above dmcription of] a preferred embodiment of my invention is not to be taken as limiting the invention to the disclosed structure for many obvious changes in construction and arrangement of parts are possible without departure from thescope' of the invention as set out in the following claims.

Iclaim:

l. A machine of theclass described having a cyclically operating mechanism, a plurality, of type carrying. members, means urging said type carrying members to a printing position, members driven by said cyclically operating mechanism to release said type carrying members for movement to a printing position and to thereafter restore said members toa normal position, an aligner to align the type carried by said member at said, printing position, said aligner comprising abail, apl urali-tyof detent members, one for each type carrying member, pivoted on. said bail for limitedmovement with respect thereto, means to yieldingly urge said detent members toward saidtype carrying member's,- means operated by said cyclically operating mechanism to move said bail and engage said detent members with said type carrying members, said bail being formed to hold said detent members in locked engagement with said type carrying members when said bail isv moved by said operated means, said means operatedby said cyclically operating mechanism releasing said bail for movement to disengage said detent members from said type carrying. members after a printing operation, a latch to arrest movement of said bail toward detent disengaging position after said bail has unlocked said detent members from said type carrying members but before said detent, members are disengagedfrom said type carrying membersrto allow said type carrying members to be moved therepast during their restoration, and means forming apart of said cyclically operating mechanism to release said. latch after said type carrying members are restored to normal position.

2. A machineofthe class described having a cyclically operating mechanism, a plurality of type bars having notches, means yieldingly urging said type bars in one direction, means driven by said cyclical-1y operatingmechanism to release said type bars for movement in said one direction to a printing position and to thereafter restore said type bars to a normal position, an aligner bail, a plurality of detentamember s, one for each type bar, pivoted on said bail and urged to engagement with the notches of said type bars, said bail having. a first surface, means. normally holding said. detent members against saidfirstsurface and disengaged from-said notches, said bail having a second surface adapted to force said detent members into saidnotche's, means operated by said cyclically operating meoha'nism to move said bail to carry said detent membersinto engagementwith said notches of said type bars and to engage said second surface with said detent members thereby holding said type bars against movement after being" meted to a printing position, said bail moving means being operated by said cyclically operated mechanism after printing to release said bail for movement toward a normal position, a latch means to arrest movement of said bail after said second surface has freed said detent members but before said detent members are disengaged from said notches whereby said detent members prevent movement of said type bars in said one direction but permit movement in restoring direction, and means forming a part of said cyclically operating mechanism to release said latch after said type bars are restored to their normal position.

3. In a machine of the class described having a plurality of notched type bars, means yieldingly driving said type bars in one direction, cyclically operating mechanism to release said type bars for movement in said one direction to printing positions and to thereafter restore said type bars to a normal position, an aligner bail, a plurality of detent members, one for each type bar, pivoted on said bail, springs between said detent members and said bail to urge said detent members toward the notches of said type bars, said aligner bail and detent members being urged to a normal position wherein said bail holds said detent members disengaged from said type bars, actuating means driven by said cyclically operating mechanism to move said bail to engage said detent members in the notches of said type bars, said bail engaging said detent members to positively hold them against movement out of said notches, said actuating means releasing said bail after a printing operation for return movement to said normal position of said bail, a latch to arrest return movement of said bail at an intermediate position wherein said springs yieldingly hold said detent members in the notches of said type bars to prevent type bar movement in said one direction, said bail in said intermediate position being spaced from said detent members whereby said type bars may be moved therepast, and a latch release means forming a part of said cyclically operating mechanism to free said latch from said aligner bail after said type bars are restored to normal position by said cyclically operating mechanism.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a cyclically operating mechanism, a plurality of printing members released by said operating mechanism for movement to a printing position and positively restored to a normal position thereby, means urging said printing members to a fully released position, an aligning device for said printing members, said aligning device including a detent member for each of said printing members and a. bail member, said detent members being pivotally arranged on said bail member, means yieldingly urging said detent members toward said printing members, means actuated by said operating mechanism to move said bail member to bring said detent members into locking engagement with said printing members whensaid printing members are in a printing position, said operating mechanism arranged to release said actuated means after printing to free said bail member and said detent members for movement toward a disengaged position from said printing members, and a stop means to interrupt said movement of said bail member and said detent members during said movement toward said disengaged position in a position wherein said detent members are yieldingly retained by said urging means in engagement with said printing members whereby restoration of said printing members is permissible.

5. A machine of the class described comprising a cyclically operating mechanism, a plurality of printing members released by said operating mechanism for movement to a printing position and positively restored to a normal position thereby, means urging said printing members to a fully released position, an aligning device for said printing members, said aligning device including a detent member for each of said printing members and a bail member, said detent members being pivotally arranged on said bail member, means yieldingly urging said detent members toward said printing members, means actuated by said operating mechanism to move said bail member to bring said detent members into locking engagement with said printing members when said printing members are in a printing position, said operating mechanism arranged to release said actuated means after printing to free said bail member and said detent members for movement toward a disengaged position from said printing members, a stop means to interrupt said movement of said bail member and said detent members wherein said detent members are yieldingly retained by said urging means in engagement with said printing members to permit restoration of said printing members, and said cyclically operated means being effective after restoration of said printing members to release said stop means and free said bail member and said detent members for continuation of said movement to said disengaged position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,588,190 Wockenfuss Mar. 4, 1952 

